

Consequently, it made sense to include the Shelob material at the beginning of the third movie to ensure a simpler narrative structure and give Frodo and Sam a proper arc before finally reaching Mount Doom.

Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) discover they are being followed by the mysterious Gollum. In the story's chronology, however, Gandalf rocking up to Minas Tirith on Shadowfax happens before Frodo is captured by orcs. Minas Morgul formerly a Gondorian city, hence the Minas, as in Minas Tirith is the fortress of the Witch-king of Angmar, leader of the Nazgul. The sequel to the Golden Globe-nominated and AFI Award-winning 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,' 'The Two Towers' follows the continuing quest of Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring. If Jackson had adhered to the book ending, Sam would discover Frodo was still alive at the end of The Two Towers, then Gandalf and Pippin would arrive in Gondor during The Return of the King's first act. However, this risked confusing viewers since the timelines don't always match up. This format doesn't work for a blockbuster movie, and Jackson weaves the two narratives in the style of a conventional film. The primary motivation behind this shuffling of scenes was to create a more balanced, linear narrative. As pointed out by Jackson himself, including Shelob in The Two Towers would give Frodo and Sam little to do in The Return of the King other than toss the Ring and wait for the eagles.įurthermore, Tolkien's The Two Towers is set out so the first half deals with the Rohan storyline, while the second half charts the journey of Frodo, Sam and Gollum.
